States – Page 42 – Wandering Dawgs

Best Campgrounds of the year – 2015

December 28, 2015January 21, 2016Posted in COE Park, Louisiana, Parks, RVing, State Parks, TexasTagged Inks Lake State Park, Lake Bistineau State Park, Palo Duro Canyon State Park20 Comments

Our 2015 wandering took us on a long a spring trip from Georgia to Texas and a short fall trip to South Carolina, Virginia, and North Carolina.

During our 2015 travels we camped in 7 states and stayed in a total of 21 different parks: 11 state parks, 6 private RV parks, 3 COE parks, and 1 county park. While we enjoyed them all, a few stand out.

So here it is, the second annual “Wandering Dawgs best campgrounds of the year” list.

Number 3: Lake Bistineau State Park, Doyline, Louisiana

Waterfront Camping at Lake Bistineau State Park, Doyline, Louisiana

Cypress Trees dripping with Spanish Moss at Lake Bistineau

We first discovered this beautiful state park when we were traveling west in 2011. The park ranger was one of the nicest and most helpful rangers I have ever met. I have such fond memories of sitting on our own private deck watching the lake that I had been trying to figure out when we would have an opportunity to return.

It was a no-brainer to stop here as we headed home toward Georgia on our return trip from Texas. The same great ranger was there and he is still one of the most friendly and most helpful rangers of any place we have been.

Lake Bistineau State Park is located a short drive south of I-20 near Doyline, Louisiana. The sites have paved parking pads with water and electric hook ups, a picnic table, and fire pit. We had a premium site with a wooden deck overlooking the lake.There are several fishing docks located in the campground and one was right in front of our site. The bath house was spotless and there is a small free laundry. The park also has a boat launch. WiFi is available at the office.

We camped at Lake Bistineau in April, 2015.

Number 2: Inks Lake State Park, Burnet, Texas

Relaxing behind our campsite at Inks Lake State Park, Burnet, Texas

We traveled through Texas in the spring when the Texas Bluebonnets were blooming. After researching where the best place to see them would be, the area in the Texas Hill Country around Inks Lake sounded perfect. When my friend Tim from Arlingon recommended it we knew we had to stay there.

We made reservations just a few days before our arrival and were fortunate to get a waterfront site the week before Easter. We had plenty of space behind our back in site to set up our chairs an enjoy the lake. We would have stayed longer but the park was full for Easter weekend and we had to leave on Good Friday.

Our site was a waterfront, back-in site with a beautiful view of the lake behind the campsite. We enjoyed beautiful sunsets every day.

Sunset at Ink's Lake — Sunset at Ink’s Lake

There are hiking trails, a fishing pier, boat launch, marina, and gift shop. Longhorn Caverns State Park is just down the road and there are many scenic drives through the Texas Hill Country.

We camped at Inks Lake State Park in April, 2015.

Number 1: Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Texas

Our own private picnic area behind our campsite

When we made a day trip to Palo Duro Canyon from Amarillo several years ago we talked about returning one day to camp in the canyon. Camping there was high on our must do list when we traveled around Texas in the spring.

There are several campgrounds in Palo Duro Canyon State Park with backpacking, equestrian sites, tent sites, and RV sites with water and electricity. Our site in the Sagebrush Campground had large private sitting area with a covered shelter over the picnic table and a fire ring. There are hiking, biking and equestrian trails. There are also several day use picnic areas, cabins, stables with guided horseback rides, an interpretive center, and the Trading Post Restaurant and Park store.

Leigh over at Campendium asked me to submit a post for my favorite State Park Campground for their May, 2015 Campendium Blog post featuring Best State Park Campgrounds. To read my contribution to the post click here.

We camped at Palo Duro Canyon in April, 2015.

Honorable Mention:

Cranes Mill Park COE, Canyon Lake, Texas
Goose Island State Park, Rockport, Texas
Poche’s Fish N Camp, Breaux Bridge, Louisiana
Claytor Lake State Park, Dublin, Virginia (2nd year on our list)

Where do you think we will wander next year? Stay tuned…

Happy New Year!!

Trio of Palm Trees

November 22, 2015January 20, 2016Posted in Georgia, PhotographyTagged Cabbage Palms, Nature, Palm Trees, Rainbow, trio, Weekly Photo Challenge14 Comments

I love wandering in our RV but I’m always happy to return home to this trio of cabbage palms in our back yard.

This is my contribution to the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: WordPress Photo Challenge: Trio

Fresh Crabs for Lunch

November 1, 2015November 18, 2015Posted in Georgia, PhotographyTagged Georgia Blue Crabs, treat, Weekly Photo Challenge17 Comments

Halloween lunch straight from a salt water creek to my boiling pot of water. It doesn’t get any fresher than that.

Fresh Georgia Blue Crabs – Caught, Cleaned, Cooked, and Eaten on Halloween, 2015

This is my contribution to the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Treat

The (Extra) Ordinary Iron Horse

October 20, 2015November 18, 2015Posted in Georgia, PhotographyTagged Athens Georgia, Green County Georgia, Iron Horse, Iron Horse Plant Sciences Farm, roadside attractions, University of Georgia, Weekly Photo Challenge15 Comments

Henry and I have traveled north on Georgia Highway 15 between Greensboro and Athens at least once a year for over 40 years. And for over 40 years, the first one to see the Iron Horse in the middle of a cornfield north of Greensboro shouts “I see the horse”!

When the corn is tall the only part of the horse that is visible is the head. The rest of the year he is easy to spot.

The Iron Horse stands tall in the middle of a cornfield

I love the story about how the horse came to be in that cornfield. The horse was created by Abbott Pattison and was originally placed on the campus of the University of Georgia in Athens in 1954. Students frequently vandalized the sculpture so a professor in the agricultural department agreed to set the Iron Horse up in the middle of his cornfield about 20 miles south of Athens.

The Iron Horse is so tall I had to look up to get this photo

The farm today has been renamed the Iron Horse Plant Sciences Farm and is a part of the University of Georgia’s research farmland. The previous owners of the land have retained ownership of the Iron Horse. The University of Georgia granted an easement to the sculpture so people like me could get close enough to admire the horse and take pictures.

This is my contribution to the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: (Extra) Ordinary

Blue Ridge Parkway, Creek Side Camping and Barbeque in North Carolina

September 28, 2015November 18, 2015Posted in North Carolina, Restaurants, Road Trip, RV Parks, RVingTagged autumn, Blue Ridge Parkway, Devil's Courthouse, fall colors, Fifth Wheel, Heywood Smokehouse, Highest Point on Blue Ridge Parkway, Looking Glass Rock, Scenic Drive, Waynesville NC13 Comments

After two days of elk watching in Cataloochee Valley we packed a lunch and set out from our campground in Waynesville for a 40 mile drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway in search of fall colors.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a 469 mile scenic parkway through the southern Appalachian Mountains in Virginia and North Carolina. The northernmost point of the parkway is Mile 0 in Rockfish Gap near Waynesboro, Virginia. The southernmost point is Mile 469 near Cherokee, North Carolina. There are scenic overlooks, picnic areas, hiking trails, and campgrounds all along the way.

Although we have traversed several sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway in the past we had never been on the area in North Carolina north of the Highest Point at Mile 431. On our journey this time we traveled south from Mile 408 at Mount Pisgah to Maggie Valley at about Mile 455.

The first order of business was a picnic at the Mount Pisgah picnic area at the top of a short paved trail. After lunch under the trees we started our journey south, stopping at several of the scenic overlooks. It was too early in the year for the peak autumn colors but a few of the leaves were beginning to change.

Looking Glass Rock got it’s name because sunlight will reflect off the granite when there is water collected on it.

Looking Glass Rock Blue Ridge Parkway in NC

There was beautiful scenery every where we looked.

Beautiful day for a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway in NC

We found a few more fall colors.

A few fall colors on the Blue Ridge Parkway in NC

There are many folktales surrounding the Devil’s Courthouse. It was getting late and we decided to skip the trail to the top.

Devil's Courthouse Blue Ridge Parkway in NC — Devil’s Courthouse Blue Ridge Parkway in NC

The picture on the left was taken 8 years ago when we first stopped at the Highest Point of the Blue Ridge Parkway at Mile 431. The one on the right from this visit.

Highest point on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Highest Point on the Blue Ridge Parkway

The photo below is the view from the Highest Point.

A few clouds rolled in as we continued south,

Our home base for exploring Cataloochee Valley and the Blue Ridge Parkway was Creekwood RV Park a few miles north of Waynesville and Maggie Valley. Our site backed up to a beautiful creek. It was a perfect place to relax after a day of wandering.

Beautiful Creek behind our campsite

Sitting by the creek was a great way to end each day

Duck in the creek behind our RV

Of course we had to try some North Carolina barbeque while were were there. The Heywood Smokehouse in Waynesville was recommended and the spareribs, chicken, and brisket were done to perfection. And it turns out the owners are originally from Georgia!